Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill may run down his contract to the end of this season.

The Telegraph says Cahill, capped seven times by England, is out of contract at the end of the season and Bolton have accepted that the 25 year-old will not commit to a new deal at the club.

Chelsea are understood to be preparing a £7 million offer for the former Aston Villa centre-half, with Arsenal also long-term admirers of the player.

But with just six months left to run on his current deal, Cahill is now considering the possibility of allowing his contract to run down in order to enable him to leave as a free agent at the end of the season.